7 video game hidden gems to pick up this Black Friday

From Elden Ring to God of War Ragnarok, 2022 has been full of amazing high-profile games. Still, there are plenty of other cool games that flew under the radar as they came out early in the year or are a bit more niche than your standard AAA game. Despite that, these titles contain some of the most entertaining gaming moments of the year. Many of these titles got deep discounts during Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and are worth giving a look if you want to try more 2022 games before the end of the year. From OlliOlli World to Fir Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, these are some 2022 video games you should pick up this Black Friday.

Dying Light 2

Although the zombie sequel Dying Light 2 felt like a pretty big deal when it launched, coming out before the likes of Elden Ring and a lot of other great games later in February caused this entertaining open-world zombie game to get lost in the shuffle of high-profile 2022 launches. Still, it’s worth playing for fans of action games and media featuring zombies, and it got a great Black Friday discount. While Dying Light 2 normally costs $60, you can pick the last-generation versions for $20 and the current-gen versions for $25 this Black Friday. 

Sifu

Sifu is an intense martial arts game about a man seeking vengeance against the people who killed his father. It’s a really engaging action game, but some might have been put off at launch due to its tough difficulty. Developer Sloclap has gone through a lot of effort to make the game more accessible since then, though, adding easier difficulty options and gameplay modifiers. As such, now is a great time to pick Sifu up, and the PlayStation 4 version is discounted from $50 to $25 this Black Friday. 

OlliOlli World — Rad Edition

OlliOlli World is one of the most satisfying games of the year, as its approachable controls and gratifying momentum allow for some truly special 2D skateboarding moments. Because it came out early in the year, this great game flew under the radar, but it’s on sale during Black Friday. Specifically, digital codes for OlliOlli World — Rad Edition are available for only $30. For the price the game normally retails for, you can get access to the entire base game as well as the VOID Raiders and Finding the Flowzone expansions that greatly increase your playtime. 

Rune Factory 5

In a year that was full of farming games, Rune Factory 5 stands out by putting a greater emphasis on RPG game mechanics like fast-paced action combat. Still, it has all the farming, dating, and home customization elements that we’ve come to expect from life sim games. While it’s normal $50 might be a bit too steep with some much competition, Black Friday deals see Rune Factory 5 drop to a much more appealing $30 price tag. If you’ve put way too many hours in Stardew Valley, why not give another similar game a shot?

Sniper Elite 5

While the new Call of Duty game is always going to dominate the first- and third-person shooter genre discussion, there are plenty of other great games in that genre. One such title to release this year is Sniper Elite 5, which follows a World War II sniper as he takes out some high-profile Nazi targets. Its open-ended levels give the player a lot of freedom in completing their assassinations, too, leading to a very replayable experience. During Black Friday, the PS4 version of Sniper Elite 5 is discounted to only $30, and it’s worth giving a look.

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a must-play for video game history fans, as it contains over 100 Atari games and tons of info on the development of each of them. It formats all of this information in museum-like Interactive Timelines too, so you can make your way through the game at your own pace. Despite only having released two weeks ago, Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection is already discounted! You can pick it up for just $30 instead of $40 this Black Friday. Containing over 100 games, it’s certainly one of the best value deals in gaming this holiday. 

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

While a sequel to a Fire Emblem action game spinoff might seem a little niche, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is actually one of the best Nintendo Switch games of the year. It features the satisfying Musou combat Koei Tecmo mastered in their own Dynasty Warriors series, but with Fire Emblem strategy and permadeath elements mixed in. The game also retells the event of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, giving fans another opportunity to revisit and mingle with that game’s iconic cast of characters. Nintendo-published games don’t drop below $60 often, but this Black Friday, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is only $35 and worth picking up for Nintendo Switch owners.